A--ARL Core Broad Agency Announcement for Basic and Applied Scientific Research for Fiscal Years 2012 through 2017

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The purpose of this modification, W911NF-12-R-0011-04, is to update national policy requirements and complete administrative maintenance of the BAA. I. OVERVIEW OF THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: INTRODUCTION This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), which sets forth research areas of interest to the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Directorates and Army Research Office (ARO), is issued under the paragraph 6.102(d)(2) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which provides for the competitive selection of basic research proposals. Proposals submitted in response to this BAA and selected for award are considered to be the result of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provision of Public Law 98-369, The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984, and subsequent amendments. Research proposals are sought from educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and commercial organizations for research in materials sciences; ballistics and aeromechanics sciences; information sciences; human sciences; survivability, lethality, and vulnerability analysis and assessment; chemistry; electronics; physics; environmental sciences; life sciences; mechanical sciences, mathematical sciences, computing sciences and network sciences. Proposals will be evaluated only if they are for scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing the state of the art or increasing knowledge and understanding. ARO has primary responsibility for ARL's extramural basic research programs, with specific research interests as described in Part II.A.2. The ARL Directorates, while having primary responsibility for ARL's in-house research programs, also manage select extramural basic research programs. The research interests of the Directorates are described in Part II.A.1. Although ARL Directorates will consider funding proposals for extramural research programs, they can fund only a modest number of proposals in a single fiscal year. It should be noted that the ARL Directorates are highly interested in performing research in collaboration with other scientists and engineers. So, in addition to funding select external research projects, the ARL Directorates also have a strong interest in performing joint research with other organizations in ARL's core competency areas as described in this BAA. Collaboration is a central tenet of ARL's new Open Campus Initiative. Information regarding the Open Campus Initiative can be found on the ARL website (a summary at: http://www.arl.army.mil/www/default.cfm?page=2357 and details regarding specific opportunities at: http://www.arl.army.mil/www/pages/2357/ARL_Open_Campus_Opportunities.pdf). Inquiries regarding funding and/or collaborations should be directed to the listed Technical Point of Contact (TPOC). Foreign owned, controlled, or influenced firms are advised that security restrictions may apply that could preclude their participation in these efforts. Before preparing a proposal, such firms are requested to contact the ARL Security and Counterintelligence Branch (301) 394-2444 concerning their eligibility. Pursuant to the policy of FAR 35.017 and supplements, selected Federally Funded Research and Development Centers may propose under this BAA. PART II, Other Programs, addresses specific contributions to Conferences and Symposia and Historically Black Colleges & Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) support. The Army has a long history of advocating and supporting research at HBCU and MIs. We actively seek research proposals from HBCUs and MIs in full competition with all offerors who may submit proposals under this BAA. Proposals may be submitted at any time. We also encourage the inclusion of HBCUs and/or MIs as part of a consortium proposal or as subcontractors/ subgrantees to prime recipients. In order to conserve valuable offeror and Government resources and to facilitate determining whether a proposed research idea meets the guidelines described herein, prospective offerors contemplating submission of a whitepaper or proposal are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate technical point of contact (TPOC) before submission. The TPOCs' names, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses are listed immediately after each research area of interest. If an offeror elects to submit a whitepaper, it must be prepared in accordance with the instructions contained in PART II.D.2 Section 3. Upon receipt, a whitepaper will be evaluated and the offeror shall be advised of the evaluation results. Offerors whose whitepapers receive a favorable evaluation may be contacted to prepare a complete proposal in accordance with instructions contained in PART II.D.2 Section 5. The costs of whitepapers and/or complete proposals in response to this BAA are not considered an allowable direct charge to any award resulting from this BAA or any other award. It may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect costs specified in FAR 31.205-18. In accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and Department of Defense and Army policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from the Army. Offerors submitting proposals are cautioned that only a Contracting or Grants Officer may obligate the Government to any legal instrument involving expenditure of Government funds. This BAA also applies to research proposals submitted to the RDECOM International Technology Centers. For ARL Directorate Research Areas II.A.1, offerors should discuss the preferred performance period with the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC). For ARO's Research Areas II.A.2, it is preferred that proposals are submitted to cover a 3-year period and include a brief summary of work contemplated for each 12-month period so that awards may be negotiated for an entire 3-year program or for individual 1-year increments of the total program. All administrative inquiries regarding this BAA shall be addressed to the email address stipulated in the modification announcement. Technical questions should be referred to the TPOCs shown following each research area of interest. When an inquiry is made, please provide your name, subject of inquiry, and contact information. This BAA is available on the following websites: http://www.arl.army.mil/www/default.cfm?page=8 www.grants.gov https://www.fbo.gov This BAA is a continuously open announcement valid throughout the period from the date of issuance through 31 March 2017, unless announced otherwise, and supersedes the ARL BAA dated October 2007. Amendments to this BAA will be posted to the FedBizOpps web site and published at the above websites when they occur. Interested parties are encouraged to periodically check these websites for updates and amendments.